[Rd] How do you make a formal "feature" request?

[Paul Johnson]

On Sat, Aug 21, 2010 at 10:41 AM, Donald Winston <satchwinston at yahoo.com> wrote:
> Who decides what features are in R and how they are implemented? If there is someone here who has that authority I have this request:
>
> A report() function analogous to the plot() function that makes it easy to generate a report from a table of data. This should not be in some auxiliary package, but part of the core R just like plot(). As a long time SAS user I cannot believe R does not have this. Please don't give me any crap about Sweave, LaTex, and the "power" of R to roll your own. You don't have to "roll your own" plot do you? Reports are no different. If you don't agree do not bother me. If you agree then please bring this request to the appropriate authorities for consideration or tell me how to do it.
>
> Thanks.
>        [[alternative HTML version deleted]]

Dear Donald:

I've wondered about your question about "how do things get into R."
It seems to me the tone of your post pissed people off and they are
giving you some abuse.  By telling you to write it yourself, they are
expressing their frustration toward you.  Really, though, you have
only yourself to blame for that.  You treat the readers like your
employees.

I think the nicer answer might go along these lines.

1.  I recently suggested code to patch R in this list and one of the
readers pointed me to this note in R-FAQ, which seems to be about as
close as you are going to get to a "request".

"There is a section of the bug repository for suggestions for
enhancements for R labelled ‘wishlist’. Suggestions can be submitted
in the same ways as bugs, but please ensure that the subject line
makes clear that this is for the wishlist and not a bug report, for
example by starting with ‘Wishlist:’. "


2. How do you suppose plot got into R? Somebody volunteered it, it
worked nicely, and many people have improved and perfected it over the
years.  If you could give us a working version of "report", the same
might happen.

3. I hate SAS report.  You should too. It stinks. We don't need that.
It is for boneheads.
You don't even tell us what is good about report or give us an
example. Or a link to an example.

4. In the R family, there are many functions like report that you should try.

Please note the function "summary" is supplied by almost all modeling
tools. It is supposed to do roughly what you want.  Does it have too
much information or too little?

There are several ways to beautify that output.

Try xtable. It can make html or LaTeX.

I wonder if the memisc package function mtable  does what you want. It
collects up a bunch of regressions for you in a nice looking table?
I've found very useful. I don't know what your objection is against
LaTeX, incidentally.   Similar tables can be created with packages.
Hmisc and apsrtable


Good luck, next time don't tell us to go to hell when you ask your question.

pj
-- 
Paul E. Johnson
Professor, Political Science
1541 Lilac Lane, Room 504
University of Kansas